Munny The Munster “storms” into $75k final

He’s bred to be more than handy, but two-year-old trotter Munny The Munster (Love You) proved there’s likely to be big things ahead with am impressive harness racing  performance on Nutrien heat night at Bendigo (September 3).

Munny The Munster, named after Melbourne Storm NRL star Cameron Munster, produced a lightning sprint that surprised even his trainer-driver team, husband and wife duo Mark Lee and Stacey Towers.

“We’ve always thought he would be tough, but as soon as I pulled out on the turn I was like whoa! He really felt good in the run to the line,” Towers said.

The victory came in the second heat of the Nutrien Sales 2YO Trotters Series, booking Munny The Munster’s spot in the $75,000 Final at Melton next Saturday night (September 13).

Settling last and spotting the leaders at least 25 metres in the back straight, Munny The Munster swept three and four wide from the 500m mark.

Without Towers needing to move a muscle, the colt charged home in a slick 28.7-second final quarter to win by four metres, running away.

Watch the replay here:

“We knew he had talent but as a baby trotter we really haven’t asked him to run up yet, so we really didn’t know where he was at,” Towers said.

“But the faster they go the better he feels. He drops his head and flattens out… it was pretty exciting to be honest.”

Munny The Munster is out of one start maiden Gypsy Flair (Skyvalley–Fionas Flair) and is a half-brother to G1 winners Banglez (Majestic Son) and Just A Bit Touchy (Father Patrick).

But his temperament hasn’t always made things easy.

“His sister was ‘Just A Bit Touchy’, and we always joked he should be named ‘A Helluva Lot Touchy’! He’s just such a big spook, very jumpy, but we’ve just taken our time with him and got him confident and settled,” Towers said.

Owners Dean and Blanche Poole, of Rhiannon Park, put the youngster through the yearling sales, but when he was passed in, they sent him to Lee and Towers to break in.

His debut run at Shepparton (third) on August 26 was encouraging, but Towers said with the gelding wanting to “run the gate”, Lee spent plenty of time just walking laps with the youngster in an effort to get him to relax more in the leadup to his second start.

“This race (the Nutrien Final) was the goal right back when we first broke him in, so it’s nice for Blanche and Dean that plan has come together. It’s great to see them getting a reward from all that they have put into the sport.”

Munny The Munster’s pedigree suggests plenty of upside. All six foals from his dam Gypsy Flair are winners, and his grand dam Fionas Flair (Entrepreneur) was herself a Gr 2-winning trotter who produced G1 winners A Touch Of Flair, Son Of Flair, Mighty Maori and sire Down Under Muscles.

And the colt may have inherited a bit of flair of his own – and judging by his Bendigo heat win, the $75,000 Nutrien final could be just the beginning.

Lee and Towers are based at Tallygaroopna near Shepparton.  Mark works the horses full-time, while Stacey balances stable life with her role as an education support officer at a local primary school.

They’ve had an unusually quiet start to the racing season, with just nine starters, focusing more on breaking in youngsters and yearling preparation, after sending their racehorses to campaign in NSW with Blake and Ellen Jones at Narrandera.

“Just with the reduction in stake money here we made that decision.  Both of our kids, Bohdi (15) and Bronte (11) are into sport, so it’s really worked well for us as a family,” Towers said.

“But it’s definitely great to have a nice one back at the races and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

From Terry Gange at Harnesslink